In Delirium, seventeen-year-old Lena is waiting for her birt

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Transcript of In Delirium, seventeen-year-old Lena is waiting for her birt

SummaryIn Delirium, seventeen-year-old Lena is waiting for her birthday, when she can have a procedure to stop her from falling in love; a condition that has been ruled a disease. Before she can get the procedure though, she falls in love with a Alex, one of the rebels living unaltered in the Wilds outside civilized cities. Lena discovers that much of her life is a lie, including the supposed suicide of her mother, and runs off to the Wilds. In the process, Alex sacrifices himself for her.

As the story begins, Lena waits anxiously for her procedure when all her pain will be removed. She lives in Portland, Maine, which like all U.S. cities is surrounded by guards and electric fences. No one is allowed in or out and no one is allowed to live in the Wilds outside the fences. Living there are rumored Invalids.Magdalena "Lena" Ella Haloway- TiddleProne to having nightmares & depressionPhysical TraitsAthletic buildHazel eyesShort- only 5' 2"17 years old'Muddy' brown hairNot thin, but not fat"I'm not ugly, but I'm not pretty, either."CompassionateLena is extremely kind to her younger cousin, Grace, who grew up without a mom.DeterminedWhen she starts something, she refuses to give upShe refuses to give in and take the Cure. She would rather be killed. ("I'd rather die my way than live yours.")She is always persistent, even when she runs with Hana.Brave & CourageousChooses to go to the Wilds with Alex, despite the dangersStands up for what she believes and refuses to have the procedureShe leaves Hana, who at one time she was completely dependent onHer family has been affected by a series of scandals relating to the DerliriaHana is her best friend.She risks her life to warn people she doesn't even know about a dangerous situationShe became very emotional when she encountered a dog that was shot during a raid. This incident changed her viewpoint on society."You have to understand. I am no one special. I am just a girl. I am five feet two inches tall and in-between in every way.But I have a secret.You can build walls all the way to the sky and I will find a way to fly above them. You can try to pin me down with a hundred arms, but I will find a way to resist. And there are many of us out there, more than you think. People who refuse to stop believing. People who refuse to come to earth. People who live in a world without walls, people who love into hate, into refusal, against hope, and without fear."ConfidentBy the end of the novel, Lena is confident and no longer insecure."Alex always made me feel beautiful.."Through his love, she learned to love herself.No longer afraid to disobey familyStops comparing herself to HanaShe no longer lets her height define herLena's Personal HistoryLena lives with her aunt, uncle and two cousins, Jenny and Grace.SHE ADORES GRACEThe cure never worked on her mother. This means she could still love.Her mother "committed suicide" when Lena was six.Lena has lived with the pain & stigma of the event ever sinceLena and Hana's RelationshipLena was very dependent on Hana. They became friends at a time when Lena was isolated from her peers. Her mother had just 'died', due to Deliria and kids refuse to talk to her because they think she could have caught it.In the first half of the book, Lena clings desperately to Hana. She is scared to be alone in the world, however, by the end of the story the dynamic is reverse. Lena is the one letting Hana go. Lena & Alex's RelationshipLena & Alex form a connection during her evaluation, when she saw him laughing as one of the protesters.After meeting a couple more times, Alex saves her from a party.He told her that he saw her as different from everybody else. She was "awake"Alex changed Lena's views and ideas about society. He opened her eyes to the web of lies the society was built upon. He thought she was beautiful, smart, funny, and he told her so. He loved her even though she didn't feel worthy of his love. Alex helped Lena define herself as a person.SettingPortland, Maine, USA100 years in the futureSpan: Over the course of a couple monthsThe CryptsRising ActionExpositionProtagonist: LenaAntagonist:Aunt CarolConsortiumPerson vs. SelfLena vs. LenaInternal ConflictPast Beliefs vs. Current DesiresThe procedure = safety and feeling of being normalAlex = uncertainty and danger yet also love and happinessPerson vs. PersonHana vs. Lena

Hana wanted Lena to be more adventurous and brave.

Lena felt pressured by Hana. Lena was lonely and hurt due to the fact that Hana seemed perfectly capable of leaving Lena behind.The story starts with Lena telling the readers about the current state if society and a little bit about her lifeCarol (her aunt) prepares Lena for her evaluation which pair her with someoneDuring the evaluation, Alex and other Invalids (people who refuse the cure and go into the Wilds) interrupt Hana and Lena go for a run and enter an area only for authorized personalOnce inside they meet the guard, AlexLena realizes that the guard is the same guy who interrupted her evaluationHana starts to defy the governmentLena and Alex meet up with each other Alex reveals to her that he is an Invalid and not curedAlex then tells Lena that he likes her ClimaxLena eventually admits that she loves Alex as much as he loves herFalling ActionA police raid almost captures Lena & HanaLena & Alex visit the WildsBoth are found by the police and Lena is locked up in her house and her procedure date is moved upGrace & Alex help Lena escape ResolutionUsing a motorcycle, Alex helps Lena escape into the Wilds. Alex was supposed to be right behind her, but when she looks back he's not there.Quote"What is beauty? Beauty is no more than a trick; a delusion; the influence of excited particles and electrons colliding with your eyes, jostling in your brain like a bunch of overeager schoolchildren, about to be released on break. Will you let yourself be deluded? Will you let yourself be deceived?"ThemeLife isn't about just existing. It's about understanding that you have to experience the bad things in order to experience something good."You know you can't be happy unless you're unhappy, right?"~Hana When Lena didn't get to spend time with Alex she felt hurt. But later, she made the comment that the pain made it worth it.If you were happy all the time, you would eventually become desensitized/numb to it.SymbolismLena's height symbolizes her low self-esteem, emotional growth & development throughout the course of the novel.Lena's sense of self worth was diminished when her mother "died". She constantly compares herself to Hana, who is 5'9" whereas she is only 5'2". This is how Lena's feels about herself in comparison to her friend. If Lena had Hana's confidence then she might be taller theoretically.Title SignificanceDelirium means a state of violent excitement or emotion. This is how the government views amor deliria nervosa. Which is the act of falling in love.Strengths & WeaknessesStrengthsdescription of characters (gave a back story to Lena and her family)Plot was intriguing Captured your emotionsWeaknessesAlex seemed unrealistic. He was too perfect.Alex's character wasn't developed well Social/ Historical SignificanceThe story takes place in an alternative present. Our society could get to this point and what would we do then?Delirium-Lauren OliverWhat if love was a disease?Would you accept the cure?